Top 5 young goalkeepers to look out for in the 2016-2017 season

Goalkeepers are the unsung heroes of modern day football. They can never win a match for your team but they can definitely save it. These days goalkeepers are not just mere shot-stoppers, but highly influential figures responsible for organizing their back line efficiently and distributing lobs and passes accurately. Just look at how Buffon is able to lead the team from the back against Spain at the UEFA Euro 2016 football game between the two great nations.

David De Gea, Manuel Neuer, Gianluigi Buffon, Petr Cech, Thibaut Courtois, and Iker Casillas (amongst many others) in recent years have helped in redefining the position. They are all; the epitome of how pivotal goalkeepers can be for their respective club and country.

But, what about the next generation? Let’s take a look at the younger generation of shot-stoppers, the precocious players who are deemed to be the “Next Big Thing”. 

 

5. Simone Scuffet

Scuffet will be looking to make his mark in Serie A this upcoming season.

Simone Scuffet is probably the least known player on this list. The 20-year-old has huge potential as he has  all the necessities to be a top-class goalkeeper. A perfect physique due to his long reach, superb reflexes, and knowing when to speed off his line aided by the knowledge of when to come and when to stay. The only noticeable flaw that he has in his otherwise brilliant play is that he chooses to punch the ball instead of holding it.

Evolved from the youth academy of Udinese, the Italian is often compared to Gianluigi Buffon because of his first class reflexes, and confidence to organize the back line. He stepped into the limelight, when he was just 17 as he made a string of extraordinary saves, producing a heroic performance; helping Udinese beat Milan 1-0. 

Currently, on loan at Serie B club Como, Scuffet has played a total of 34 games so far, amounting to more than 3000 minutes of first team action, which is prodigious for a teenager.

If given the right direction, substantial game time and exposure; he will surely live up to his potential and become a real star.